Game apparatus



May 28, 1935. J. ERAUER GAME APPARATUS Filed NOV. 7, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l II/ E 60 g7 g 6 2 52 69 55 m/vflvra (fa/9N 542/55.

WIT/V586.

J. GRAUER GAME APPARATUS Filed NOV. '7', 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "llllll FIG 95.

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BALLS "sT IKE May 28, 1935.

Patented May 28, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAME APPARATUS John Grauer, Whitestone, N. Y. Application November 7, 1933, Serial No. 696,931

5 Claims.

This invention relates to game apparatus and while it is herein illustrated in an apparatus whereby the'game of baseballmay be played, it is equally adapted to other games. I

It is one object of the invention to provide a novel apparatus which may be operated-by two persons, to play a game of baseball or the like in a realistic manner and in close game as played on a regulation field with regulation equipment. V

It is another object of the invention to constructan apparatus wherein the skill of the players with an element of chance,'thereby greatly increasing the interest in the playing of the game. 7

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one form of my invention, and in said drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a game apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4'4 of Figure'2,

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figurez,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view on an enlarged scale,

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view showing the manner in which one of the chute sections may be moved to control the flight of the'missile, and; Figure 8 is a detail perspectiveview of a portion of the mechanism.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the game apparatus is, for the sake of convenience, mounted upon a suitable base It). Mounted upon the base In, in such a manner as to rotate relative to a fixed pointer I, there is a play indicator I2, preferably in the form of a disk, the upper surface of which is divided'into a plurality of segments bearing indicia designating various plays of the game to be played.

Mounted upon the base Hi, there is a housing IS, the upper portion of which is formed with a chute l6, one end of Whichis wider than the other as the result of an angularly disposed side wall H, and a straight side wall I8. The bottom wall of this chute I6, terminates as at I9, at a point short of the end wall 2|), to provide a space between the end of the chute and saidend wall 20, through which the missile designated-2|, in Figure 2, is free to pass. A portion of this opensimilarity to the 7 ing is closed by two trap doors 22, which operate in unison and, as illustrated in Figure 5, are pivotally mounted as at 23 tosaidend' wall 20. These trap doors are spaced from each otherand the space between said trap, doors isadapted to '5 permit of the passage of the missile 2|, directly to an inclined chute, 24, mounted beneath the space between the end "I9; andthe bottom of the chute and the end. 20, thereof. The inclined chute 24, is beneath the space between the trap 10 doors 22, and it delivers to a compartment 25, while the trap doors 22, deliver directly to a compartment 28;

So far as described the 'device operates as follows. The missile being rolled through the chute 15- IB, will depending upon its'direction of flight through the chute roll upon either of'the trap doors 22, and be delivered to the central space thereby to the chute 24, and into-the compart-- ment 26, to designate a strike in thegame of 20 baseball. If, however, the trap doors 22, be lowered, the missile may enter. the space uncovered thereby, in which case the missile will be delivered to the compartment 28, and indicate a ball in the game of baseball.

A chute 30,,is employed to deliver the missile 2|, to the chute I6. This chute 30, may be supported at its outer end upon a vertically movable standard 3|, in such a manner that it may be rocked about its longitudinal axis, this being ac- 30 complished in the present illustration of the invention by the projecting "member v32, which is positioned in an opening 33, in the standard 3|. The inner end of the chute 30, isprovided with an eye 34, which engages-over a projecting mem- 35 ber 35, and by this means the chute 30, may be rocked from right to left as indicated by dotted lines in Figure '7. Thus, one of the players who represents the side in the field may manipulate the chute 3D, to direct the flight of the missile 40 2|, therethrough, and: also to direct its flight through the chute l6. 7

Means is'provided to intercept and change the direction of flight of the missile. 2|, and this means comprises an impact member 40, movable across the. chute l6. This impact member is carried by a verticalshaft 42, which shaft is operated by a coil spring 43, as in Figure 4, to cause the impact member to make a sweeping movement in a substantially horizontal plane 50 across the chute l6; -This impact surface has a bat to engage the missile and is held out of position in the chute by the operator, preferably byhis thumb, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

In operation the missile is started through the chute 30, its flight controlled by one player as heretofore described, the other player holding the impact member against operation by the spring 43, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. At what he deems the proper moment the player in control of the impact member releases the same in an effort to intercept the missile 2|, in its flight through the chute l6. If the impact member, when released by the player misses the missile, the missile will pass to the end l- 9,of the chute and be delivered to the compartment 26, registering a strike against the player in control of the impact member. This result is always attained if the impact member misses the the missile in its flight through the chute--'I6,-for" the reason that the trap doors 22, are raised by releasing the impact member so that only the center space between thetrap doors 22, is open and the missile must pass through this spacetto the strike compartment. This closing of the trap doors is effected by alink-"45,:connected to an arm 46, which'in-turn' is carried by thevertical standard 42, in such a manner that as the impact member swings-across :the chute Hi, the trap doors 22, will-bemoved to closedposition. If, however,'the player doesnotreleasethe impact member, then the-missile is free to enter either the compartment, or 28, depending upon its direction of flight and registercither a strike or a ball, as the casemay be.

Assuming, now, that the'impact member inits movement across thechutel6, engages the missile and projects it to the right in Figure 5, the missile passes through the contractedzportion -50, of the bottom of the chute l6, and falls upon a member 5|,1carriedby a right angular lever 52,\pivotallymounted'as at fl, in a bracket 54, carried bythe under face of the: basef'lll, and causes this lever to rockaboutits pivotal point, andjthereby elevate its end -55. The =end'c55, of the lever 52, is weighted, as indicated at 56, in :Figures 6 and 8, and this lever :engages a :shoulder .60, of a reciprocating bar like memberlfil, :which is mounted in guides 62, upon the under'face of: the base Hi. This bar-like member'f'fil, ismovedin one direction by a spring65, one-end of which is connected to a bracket BB, the other end being connected to an arm 61, projecting'from the barlike member. This bar-like' member carries a projection .68, which .is adapted to enga'gethe teeth 69, of a toothed wheel 10,: carried on' the lower end of the shaft'lL upon which the play indicator I2, is mounted. Thus as'th'el'barelike member=6l, is 'moved to 'thelposition shown in full lines in'FigureBythe-projection-GB, will-sengage one of theteeth '69, ofithe'toothed wheel 10, to effecta spinning "actionof saidtoothed wheel 10, andthus spin the play indicator I2;

From the foregoing it willbeapparent then, that each time'themissileis.droppedupon the member 5|, the lever .52, willbe rocked about its pivotal point 53, to release the bar-like member 6|, to efiect an operationof the play indicator.

Means is provided to set thetension of the spring 65, of 'thebar-like member eachtime the impact member ismoved to. the position in which it is shown in full'llinesin Figure :l,'and this means is herein illustrated as a-curved-armtl), carried by the shaft 4.2, of the'impact member, which arm-89, whenthe-iimpact member is moved to thefulllineposition. shown iniFigure '1, engages a projecting arm "8|,1upon the bar-like member 6|,to move the same to the dotted line positionin whichit is showninFigure 6 in which position it issheldbyengagement of theleverfSZ behind said shoulder 60. If, now, the impact member 40, be released, it will move in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow in Figure 6, and will not effect any movement of the bar-like member 6|, the bar-like member 6!, being released to the action of its spring 65, only by a rocking of the lever 52, as heretofore described. The bar-like member 6|, has an offset end 85, which when in its set position, engages between two of the teeth 69, of the toothed wheel 10, to prevent accidental movement of the toothed wheel '10, and the play indicating means l2.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I one player, by manipulation of the chute 30,

may direct the flight of the missile from the chute l6, and that the other player will release the impactmember'dt, in an attempt to intercept the flight of the missile and change its direction of flight. If the second mentioned player be unsuccessful in intercepting theiflight of. the missile, the same will enter the strikecompartment and register .a strike against the player. If, however, the second mentioned player faiIed to release the impact member, the missile may then enter either the ball or strike compartment, as heretofore described. If, on the other hand, the second mentioned player is successful in intercepting the'fiight .of the missile and causes its projection in the reverse direction to the contracted portion 40,of the chute IS, the same ,will drop upon the member 5|, rock-the lever.52, about its pivotal point 53,.release the bar-like member 6|, to the actionof its springGS and-effect a spinning movement of the gear 10, of the playindicator l2. .When the play indicator, comes/co rest the stationary, pointer II, will indicate the result of the play, and the scoring will be done accordingly.

From the 'foregoing it is apparent that the present invention provides a new and novel game apparatus so constructed and arrangedthat it may be adapted to various games of the type in which the flight of a missile is determined by. an impact member, which apparatus is simple in construction, easy of operation, and which combines the two elements, skill and chance.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

, 1..A game apparatus comprisingin'combination, a twopart chute, one part being stationary and one partmovable and through which a-missile may be rolled in directed flight and -dis charged into the stationary chute section, an impact member movable across said stationary chute section, .a missile adapted to be rolled through said chute sections and to be intercepted inits flight :by said impact member, means'for trapping said-missile, and a play indicator operated by said missile when the same is interceptedin its flight by said impact member. -2. In a gameapparatus, a base, an adjustable standard projecting from'said base, a stationary chute section carried bysaid base, a movable chute section pivotally mounted upon the upper end of said adjustable standard and discharging into said stationary chute section, a series'of traps-at one end of the stationary chute member, said traps being adapted to receive a missile as it travels through the stationary chute section, and means for intercepting the passage of a missile-through the stationary chute section.

'3. In-a game apparatus, a base,-an adjustable standard projecting from said base, a stationary chute section carried by said base, a movable chute section pivotally mounted upon the upper end of said adjustable standard and discharging into said stationary chute section, a series of traps at one end of the stationary chute member, said traps being adapted to receive a missile as it travels through the stationary chute section, and means for intercepting the passage of a missile through the stationary chute section, said last mentioned means comprising a spring actuated impact member movable across the stationary chute member.

4. In a game apparatus, a base, an adjustable standard projecting from said base, a stationary chute section carried by said base, said stationary chute section being inclined and provided at its lower end, with a plurality of traps, a movable chute section pivotally mounted on said vertically adjustable standard, said movable chute section being inclined and having its lower end overlying the upper end of the stationary chute section whereby a missile in its travel through the movable chute section will be discharged into the stationary chute section, and means for intercepting a missile in its passage through the stationary chute member.-

5. In a game apparatus, a base, an adjustable standard projecting from said base, a stationary chute section carried by said base, said stationary chute section being inclined and provided at its lower end with a plurality of traps, a movable chute section pivotally mounted on said vertically adjustable standard, said movable chute section being inclined and having its lower end overlying the upper end of the stationary chute section whereby a missile in its travel through the movable chute section will be discharged into the stationary chute section, and means for intercepting a missile in its passage through the stationary chute member, said last mentioned means comprising a spring actuated impact member, and means for pivotally mounting said impact member upon one of the sidewalls of the stationary chute section and the base.

JOHN GRAUER. 

